Short-Answer Development
Short answers are concise responses to questions or prompts, typically requiring a few sentences to a paragraph or two, focusing on key points and evidence to support your ideas.
Follow these tips to ensure your short answers are both developed and concise:
• Answer directly: Start your essay by answering the main question directly. This ensures that your response is
focused right from the beginning.
• Plan it out: Before writing, take a few minutes to outline your thoughts. Identify the key points you need to cover to
answer the question fully.
• Be specific: Support your points with specific examples or brief anecdotes. This helps develop your answer by
showing how your ideas apply in real situations, without needing lengthy explanations.
• Be precise: Choose words that convey your meaning precisely. Avoid vague terms and phrases. This will help keep
your answer concise.
• Avoid redundancy: Check your answer for redundant phrases or ideas. Each sentence should add new information or
insight.
• Edit carefully: Once you’ve written your answer, revise it to cut out any unnecessary words or sentences. This helps
in making your writing clearer and more direct.
By focusing on these guidelines, you can craft short answers that are well-developed, concise, and effective.
Short answers are concise responses to questions or prompts, typically requiring a few sentences to a paragraph or two, focusing on key points and evidence to support your ideas.
Follow these tips to ensure your short answers are both developed and concise:
• Answer directly: Start your essay by answering the main question directly. This ensures that your response is
focused right from the beginning.
• Plan it out: Before writing, take a few minutes to outline your thoughts. Identify the key points you need to cover to
answer the question fully.
• Be specific: Support your points with specific examples or brief anecdotes. This helps develop your answer by
showing how your ideas apply in real situations, without needing lengthy explanations.
• Be precise: Choose words that convey your meaning precisely. Avoid vague terms and phrases. This will help keep
your answer concise.
• Avoid redundancy: Check your answer for redundant phrases or ideas. Each sentence should add new information or
insight.
• Edit carefully: Once you’ve written your answer, revise it to cut out any unnecessary words or sentences. This helps
in making your writing clearer and more direct.
By focusing on these guidelines, you can craft short answers that are well-developed, concise, and effective.
